Stonington home damaged by chimney fire Sunday afternoon
Stonington — A chimney fire destroyed the attic and second floor of a Farmholme Road home Sunday afternoon, but didn't injure the two people inside.
Owner Michael McKinley, a prominent local architect who was in the house with his daughter when the fire started, said he doesn't expect that the house will need to be rebuilt.
But, he said, "it's a lot of work."
McKinley said he designed the house in 1994. A chimney flue and a wooden roof caused a fireplace fire to spark and spread quickly to the top of the house about 3 p.m., he said.
A large portion of the roof over the rear of the wooden house was charred black Sunday afternoon, after firefighters had doused the fire. Firefighters chopped openings in the exterior attic walls and shot water onto the smoldering house while McKinley's 18-year-old daughter walked near the house wearing socks, but no shoes.
Neighbors gathered to watch the firefighters at work, standing on the edge of Farmholme Road.
McKinley said the metal case his daughter was carrying held the first object he thought to rescue from the fire after making sure both he and his daughter were safe: an antique flute, made in the 1850s and still in use.
The family will stay with friends for now, he said.
"We got a lot of people volunteering," he said.
Wequetequock Fire Chief Edward Dennett said the fire did significant damage to the home and took about 30 minutes to put out. He said the fire started in the chimney in the attic.
Firefighters from eight local departments responded.
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